Joe Rudolph 2024-25 Football Staff

THE RUDOLPH FILE

• Name: Joe Rudolph
• Hometown: Belle Vernon, Pennsylvania
• High School: Belle Vernon
• Education: Wisconsin (1995); Carnegie-Mellon (2004)
• Wife: Dawn
• Children: Alex, Andrew, Austin 

PLAYING CAREER

• 1991-94 Wisconsin (Offensive Line)
• 1995 Philadelphia Eagles (Offensive Line)
• 1997 San Francisco 49ers (Offensive Line)

COACHING CAREER

• 2004-05 Ohio State Graduate Assistant
• 2006 Ohio State Strength Coordinator
• 2007 Nebraska Tight Ends
• 2008-11 Wisconsin Tight Ends
• 2012-14 Pittsburgh Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends
• 2015-20 Wisconsin Associate Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line
• 2021 Wisconsin Associate Head Coach/Run Game Coordinator/Offensive Line
• 2022 Virginia Tech Run Game Coordinator/Offensive Line
• 2023- Notre Dame Joe Moore Offensive Line Coach

BOWLS COACHED IN

• 2004 Ohio State (Alamo Bowl)
• 2006 Ohio State (Fiesta Bowl)
• 2007 Ohio State (BCS National Championship)
• 2008 Wisconsin (Champs Sports Bowl)
• 2009 Wisconsin (Champs Sports Bowl)
• 2011 Wisconsin (Rose Bowl)
• 2012 Wisconsin (Rose Bowl)
• 2012 Pittsburgh (BBVA Compass Bowl)
• 2013 Pittsburgh (Little Caesars Pizza Bowl)
• 2015 Pittsburgh (Armed Forces Bowl)
• 2015 Wisconsin (Holiday Bowl)
• 2017 Wisconsin (Cotton Bowl)
• 2018 Wisconsin (Orange Bowl)
• 2018 Wisconsin (Pinstripe Bowl)
• 2020 Wisconsin (Rose Bowl)
• 2020 Wisconsin (Duke’s Mayo Bowl)
• 2021 Wisconsin (Las Vegas Bowl)
• 2023 Notre Dame (Sun Bowl)

COACHING ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Rudolph completed his first season as the Joe Moore Offensive Line Coach at Notre Dame in 2023.
• Oversaw a group that was named as semifinalists for the Joe Moore Award as the best offensive line in the country.
• Historically, ranking Notre Dame’s yards-per-play is reliable back to the 1967 season. The 2023 team, propelled by the offensive line, averaged 7.0 yards-per-play which ranks second-best in program history.
• The 2023 Irish offensive line paved the way for junior running back Audric Estimé to post one of the best rushing seasons in program history in 2023. Estimé rushed for 1,341 yards in ’23 – which ranks fifth on the single-season list at Notre Dame – and finished the regular season as eighth-most of any back in the country. Estimé also rushed for a team-record 18 touchdowns in 2023 and finished his career ranked 11th on the career rushing yards list with 2,321.
• Worked daily with All-American offensive tackle Joe Alt, who, according to Pro Football Focus (PFF), allowed just five pressures and a single sack in 368 pass block in 2023. PFF ranked Alt as the second overall offensive tackle in the nation and is the only offensive tackle rated by the service in the top-eight in run blocking and pass blocking.
• Rudolph was the offensive line coach at Virginia Tech in 2022 after seven consecutive seasons at Wisconsin.
• Rudolph’s run at Wisconsin (2015-21) as the offensive line coach saw the Badgers compile 18,399 rushing yards, a total that was seventh among Power 5 Conference teams during that time frame. Wisconsin rushed for 195 touchdowns during those seven seasons and averaged 211.7 rushing yards per game.
• A proven developer of talent who excels both in college and at the NFL level, Rudolph’s offensive line pupils at Wisconsin earned the Rimington Award (Tyler Biadasz), nine All-American selections, five first-team All-America honors and nine first-team All-Big Ten accolades. The 2018 season, in particular, saw Wisconsin earn four of the five first-team all-conference selections.
• That 2018 campaign witnessed Wisconsin rush for 3,554 yards (6.2 per carry) and average 273.4 rushing yards per game. It was the first of two back-to-back unanimous All-America campaigns for running back Jonathan Taylor who became the third player in FBS history with multiple 2,000-yard rushing seasons and the only player to run for at least 1,900 yards in three straight seasons.
• Rudolph’s remarkable run at Wisconsin, which included three trips to the Big Ten Championship game and three January 1 bowl appearances, was preceded by three successful seasons as the offensive coordinator and tight ends coach at Pittsburgh (2012-14). Rudolph developed the Panther attack to 31.8 points-per-game and 435.4 yards-per-game averages in 2014 powered by ACC Player of the Year running back James Conner.

Notable student-athletes developed by Rudolph throughout his career include – 

• Logan Bruss, G, Wisconsin – 2021 Second-Team All-Big Ten, 2022 NFL Draft Second-Round Selection (L.A. Rams). 
• Jack Ferguson, TE, Wisconsin – 2021 First-Team All-Big Ten, 2022 NFL Draft Fourth-Round Selection (Dallas).
• Cole Van Lanen, G, Wisconsin – 2020 First-Team All-Big Ten, 2021 NFL Draft Sixth-Round Selection (Green Bay). 
• Jonathan Taylor, RB, Wisconsin – 2018, 2019 Doak Walker Awardwinner, 2018-19 Unanimous All-American, 2020 NFL Draft Second-Round Selection (Indianapolis), 2021 First-Team All-Pro and Pro Bowl selection
• Tyler Biadasz, C, Wisconsin – 2019 Rimington Awardwinner, 2019 Unanimous All-American, 2020 NFL Draft Fourth-Round Selection (Dallas), 2022 Pro Bowl selection
• Michael Deiter, G, Wisconsin – 2018 Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year, 2018 All-American, 2019 NFL Draft Third-Round Selection (Miami)
• David Edwards, G, Wisconsin – 2017 All-American, 2019 NFL Draft Fifth-Round Selection (L.A. Rams)
• Brian O’Neill, T, Pittsburgh – 2017 First-Team All-ACC, 2018 NFL Draft Second-Round Selection (Minnesota), 2021 Pro Bowl selection
• Troy Fumagali, TE, Pittsburgh – 2017 All-American, 2017 First-Team All-Big Ten, 2018 NFL Draft Fifth-Round Selection (Denver) 
• Ryan Ramczyk, T, Wisconsin – 2016 All-American, 2017 NFL Draft First-Round Selection (32nd overall) (New Orleans), 2019 Pro Bowl selection, two-time All-Pro selection (2018, 2020). 
• James Conner, RB, Pittsburgh – 2014 All-American, 2014 ACC Player of the Year, 2017 NFL Draft Third-Round Selection (Pittsburgh), two-time Pro Bowl selection (2018, 2021). 
• Dorian Johnson, G, Pittsburgh – 2016 All-American, 2017 NFL Draft Fourth-Round Selection (Arizona)
• Adam Bisnowaty, T, Pittsburgh – 2016 All-ACC, 2017 NFL Draft Sixth-Round Selection (N.Y. Giants)
• Tyler Boyd, WR, PIttsburgh – 2014, 2014 First-Team All-ACC, 2016 NFL Draft Second-Round Selection (Cincinnati)
• Derek Watt, FB, Wisconsin – Lead blocker for Melvin Gordon at Wisconsin, 2016 NFL Draft Sixth-Round Selection (San Diego)
• T.J. Clemmings, T, Pittsburgh – 2014 First-Team All-ACC, 2015 NFL Draft Fourth-Round Selection (Minnesota)
• Tom Savage, QB, Pittsburgh – threw for 2,958 yards and 21 touchdowns in 2013 in one season at Pittsburgh, 2014 NFL Draft Fourth-Round Selection (Houston)
• Devin Street, WR, Pittsburgh – Second-team All-Big East (2012), third-team All-ACC (2013), 2014 NFL Draft Fifth-Round Selection (Dallas)
• Lance Kendricks, TE, Wisconsin – 2010 Consensus All-American, 2010 First-Team All-Big Ten, 2011 NFL Draft Second-Round Selection (St. Louis)
• Garrett Graham, TE, Wisconsin – 2009 First-Team All-Big Ten, 2010 NFL Draft Fourth-Round Selection (Houston)
• Travis Beckum, TE, Wisconsin – 2007 First-Team All-Big Ten, 2009 NFL Draft Third-Round Selection (N.Y. Giants).

• Rudolph’s initial coaching stint at Wisconsin occurred from 2008-11 when he developed one of the top tight end groups in the nation. The Badgers scored over 40 points per game in 2010-11, won back-to-back Big Ten Championships and produced four NFL tight ends.
• Rudolph served as tight ends coach at Nebraska in 2007, while also assisting on all special team units and overseeing the punt team. Before his single season at Nebraska, Rudolph served as strength coordinator (2006) and offensive graduate assistant coach (2004-05) at Ohio State.